Potato-digger.



J. J. SCHUBERT. PoTATo BIGGER.

1 ,033,475. APPLICATION FILED JVUNE 5, 1911. Patented 23 3 SHEETS-SHEET1.

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O J.1 J. SCHUBERT. PoTATo BIGGER.

Patented July 2'3, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. J. SCHUBERT. 1

POTATO DIGGER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1911.

1 ,083,475. Patented July 23, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PA JULIUS J'. SCHUBERT, OF OSSEO, MINNESOTA.

Porno-BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application led June 5, 1911. Serial No. 631,329`A TolaZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, J ULiUs J. SCHUBERT, of Osseo, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and `useful Improvements inPotato-Diggers, lowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a potato digging machine bymeans of which the potatoes may be dug out ofthe ground, the dirt shakenfrom them and the potatoes delivered in a windrow in the rear and at oneside of the machine where they can be convenientlypicked up.

A further object is to provide a machine .which can be conveniently usedon a side hill without interfering in any-way with its successfuloperation.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention co-nsists generally in`various constructions andcombinations, all as seat 12.

hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings .forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of a potato digging machine embody- Fig. 2 is asideelevation ing my invention, of the same, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal,vertical section of the machine, Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clutchmechanism for rendering the spirally arranged arms operative orinoperative. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the arms by mea-ns ofwhich the potatoes are delivered on the side of the machine.

In the drawing, Zrepresents the frame of the machine, having a draftpole 3 and carrying wheels a and 5. The wheel 4 is mounted on an axle 6which has bearings in the machine frame and the wheel 5 is mounted on anaxle 7 which also has bearings in the frame of the machine and iscapable of oscillation' horizontally in a, guide 8 for the purpose ofswinging the wheel 5 in a horizontal plane to adapt the machine for useon a side hill. This oscillation of the shaft or axle 7 is edected bymeans of a link 9 and a lever 10 'having the usual latch and quadrant 11and disposed neai' A shaft 13 is mounted in the rear portion of themachine and a potato digging device 14: is pivoted thereon and-has apoint 15 adapted toenter the ground and is vertically adjustable on aframe 16 by means of links 18 having holes 19 therein and bolts 20bymeans of which the desired pitch or of which the fol-- 37 arrangednear the drivers seat.

the drivers inclination of the digger can be obtained. The frame 16carries a roll 21 in advance of the digger, having a concave face thatis 'adapted to contact with the vines and direct them toward the middleportion of the roll so that they will not catch on the side walls of thedigger. The frame 16 is pivoted on the shaft 13 and is verticallyadjustable by means of links'22 which connect said frame with arms 23secured on a rock shaft 24: that is operated by means of a lever 25. Theframe 16'is locked in its raised position by means of a dog 26 held inthe path of an arm 27 on the shaft'Qlby means of aspring QS. A footoperated lever 29 is connected with the dog 26 within convenient reachof the driver so that the dog may be tripped and the frameA 16 releasedto'drop the' roll and the forward end of the digger to their workingposition.

In the rear of the driv'ers seat I provide shafts 30 and 3-1 driven fromthe wheel 4, preferably in the following manner: 3Q is a shaft providedat its outer end with a pinion 33 meshing with a` gear 34 on the wheel4. A gear 35 is loosely mounted on the shaft 32 and is adapted to belocked thereon by means of a clutch 36 controlled by a lever The shaft30 is driven from the gear 35 through a pinion 3S fastened on said shaftand an idle pinion 39 and the pinion 40 mounted on the shaft 31 meshesdirectly with the gea-i 35. The shafts 30 and 31 will be' driven,

therefore, positively and in opposite directions, as indicated by thearrows in Fig. 2. These shafts may be rendered operative or inoperativeat any time by means of the lever 37. Upon these shafts, which arepreferably square in cross section, as indi.- cated in Fig. 3, I providea series of feeding blades or arms 41 having beveled faces 42. andspirally disposed upon the shafts so that as .the potatoes are deliveredto them from the rear end of the digger the tendency will be to work thepotatoes laterally or lengthwise of the shafts 30 and 31 until they Thespiralv arpass out of the machine. rangement of the blades on the lowershaft is opposite to that of the blades on the upper shaft and thebeveled faces lare alsoI oppositely arranged so that the potatoes willfeed laterallyin one direction and the vines and other refuse materialgathered up by the digger will move in the other direction, thepotatoes.. falling in arow at`^`ore`side"of the.

machine and the vines heilig discharged at the other side. I prefer alsoto provide tines or lingers@ and 44 projecting between the upper andlower spirals to prevent the vines and refuse material from wrappingaround the shafts.

I'may prefer to provide in connection with the potato digging device 14a carrier belt 13 having its lower portion supported by a shaft 13 anddriven through the shaft 13 and gear 14.

claim as my invention l. A potato digger comprising a frame havingcarrying wheels, a digger mounted therein, shafts arranged one aboveanother inthe Vrear of said digger, feeding blades spirally arrangedl onsaid shafts and operating to feed the potatoes transversely of themachine, and means for revolving said shafts and blades in oppositedirections.

2. A potato diofger comprising a frame having carrying wheels, a diggermounted in said frame, a revolving shaft in the rear of said digger,feeder blades mounted on said shaft and having beveled feeding faces,said blades being s'pirally arranged and op'- erating to feed thepotatoes laterally or to one side of the machine.

3. A potato digger comprising a frame having carrying Wheels, a diggermounted vin said frame, upper and lower feeder blades arranged. in therear of said digger, said lower blades operating to feed the potatoes teone side of the machine and said'upper blades operating to feed thevines and refuse material toward the other side of the machine.

4. A potato digger comprising a frame having carrying wheels, a diggermounted Ain said frame, upper and lower feeder blades spirally arranged,the upper blades being oppositely arranged from the lower lblades andboth sets of blades having driv- Sends, means for revolving said shaftsland blades in opposite directions, the blades of one of said shaftsoperating to feed the p0- tatoes to one side of the machine and theblades on the other shaft operating to feed the vines and refusematerial toward the onposite side of the machine.

6. The combinatiom with an upper4 group of feeder blades, operating tofeed the vines and refuse material toward the side of the machine, of a.lower group of feeder blades operating to feed the potatoes toward theopposite side of the machine, and means for driving said groups offeeder blades.

7. In a machine of the class described, a revolving shaft, feeder bladesmounted on said shaft and having beveled feeding faces, said bladesbeing spirally arranged and operating to feed the potatoes laterally orto one side of the machine.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of May1911.

' JULUS J. SCHUBERT.

Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN, EDWARD A. PAW..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner oi Patenvs..

' Washington, ZD. G.

